The present invention relates to a probe head of a test probe for use with equipment for testing a semiconductor device such as a Large Scale Integrated Circuit (LSI) and a method of manufacturing the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a probe head that can support a great number of probes with high density of the pins for each probe and a probe head produced by that method.
A probe head is intended to provide contact with an electrode pad of a semiconductor LSI to transmit an electric signal between the LSI and testing equipment to which the probe is connected. A known test probe includes a plurality of probe pins prepared in advance which are individually inserted into through-holes provided in a probe head structure. In order to improve an electrical contact characteristic, a tip portion of a probe pin is required to have a pointed form. A probe pin is first fixedly mounted on a probe head structure, and thereafter a flat surface is obtained by grinding and polishing the pin. The tip of the pin is then semispherically and conically exposed and formed by subjecting the pin to etching. An apparatus of this kind is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 80067/1986.
In the above-described probe head configuration, no consideration has been given to providing a great number of probes or a multi-probe device having a high density of probe pins. A primary concern in the method of forming these probe pins was the need for high precision of pin tip positioning. The probe pins are individually inserted into and assembled on a probe structure having through holes. Therefore, highly accurate insertion and assembling techniques are necessary to provide higher density and multiple probe pins. This technique has certain limitations. A tip of the inserted probe pin, particularly in case of a tip in contact with an electrode pad, a soldering electrode, is springless, and the height and lateral positions thereof need to be arranged and adjusted with high accuracy within a given area (for one tip portion) in order to ensure a contact resistance characteristic between a pin and a pad. In the known configuration, a tip of a probe pin is formed by etching, but with respect to the position of the tip, no consideration has been paid to the necessity of higher precision.